Heavy daily smoking among under 18-year-old psychiatric inpatients is associated with increased risk
Key points
- Purpose - To investigate the relationship between heavy daily smoking and suicidality among adolescent psychiatric inpatients in Finland.
- Among adolescents with severe psychiatric illnesses, heavy daily smoking may increase the risk of suicidal behaviour independently of current psychiatric diagnosis.
- Methods - Data were collected from 411 patients (age 12–17 years) admitted to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and July 2005.
- Results - After adjusting for psychiatric diagnoses an over twofold risk for suicide attempts was found among adolescents who smoked over 15 cigarettes a day.
Heavy daily smoking among under 18-year-old psychiatric inpatients is associated with increased risk for suicide attempts
Purpose - To investigate the relationship between heavy daily smoking and suicidality among adolescent psychiatric inpatients in Finland.
Among adolescents with severe psychiatric illnesses, heavy daily smoking may increase the risk of suicidal behaviour independently of current psychiatric diagnosis. The degree of nicotine dependence of an adolescent should therefore be carefully assessed as part of psychiatric evaluation.
Methods - Data were collected from 411 patients (age 12–17 years) admitted to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and July 2005. The number of daily cigarettes (>15) and the time of first cigarette after waking up (within 30 min) were used as indicators of heavy daily smoking.
Results - After adjusting for psychiatric diagnoses an over twofold risk for suicide attempts was found among adolescents who smoked over 15 cigarettes a day. Additionally, if an adolescent also smoked the first cigarette immediately after waking up the risk was over threefold. Suicidal ideation was not associated with smoking behaviour.
Kaisa Riala, Kaisa Viilo, Helina" Hakko, Pirkko Ra"sa"nen and the STUDY-70 research group
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Box 5000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland
Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Box 26, 90029 OYS, Finland
Received 15 January 2006; revised 6 June 2006; accepted 8 June 2006. Available online 28 November 2006.
Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Box 26, 90029 OYS, Finland. Tel.: +358 8 3156808; fax: +358 8 3157256.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
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